I think the first CD that I ever bought with my own money was Shania Twain’s 1997 second album Come On Over; it was either that or All Saints’ debut album that came out the same year. I was eleven and had been brought up on a solid musical diet of ‘70s rock and ‘90s brit-pop – loathe to conform to the pop mania of the time (for my 12th birthday fancy dress party, to my shame, I actually banned anyone coming dressed as Spice Girls, but my request was ignored and I think we at least had a Baby, Sporty and Posh in attendance) -, but something about Twain and her catchy country-tinged anthems had me singing and dancing along; captivated by her seemingly empowering lyrics and fierce-yet-playful presence. Then, as my mid teenage years had me fully immersed in grunge and emo, I thought I had grown out of my Shania fandom and gave away the CD to a (much cooler, clearly) cousin, but little did I know that my adoration was already deeply ingrained in my being; Twain’s music and resolute strength of character continuing to be a consistent source of joy and motivation to this day. Getting more into country music over the last few years has also helped revive my admiration of the Canadian icon, delving further into her back catalogue and development as an artist throughout her career, whilst watching the 2022 documentary Not Just A Girl – discussing her rise as a star, break-up of her first marriage, her support for the LGBTQ+ community, and struggle with Lymes disease – really endeared her to me, offering valuable insight into that inspiring determination and unrelenting energy that had first drawn me to her back in 1997.
So, needless to say, I did not hesitate to take up the opportunity of seeing Shania Twain live at BST Hyde Park last weekend.
We arrived at Hyde Park literally just in time to catch Australian star Natalie Imbruglia’s set. Her 1997 debut Left Of The Middle is actually another contender for one of the first CDs I ever bought (1997 was a great year it seems!), and I subsequently learned every heartfelt word to every song on the album; belting them out in my bedroom in secret on a near-daily basis. And my knowledge of each of her emotion-strewn lyrics comes miraculously flooding back to me throughout her short but very sweet thirty minute set. Kicking off with ‘Wishing I Was There’, she skips across the stage with a refreshing enthusiasm and energy, before insisting that she is maintaining composure throughout the delicate vulnerable melancholy of ‘Smoke’ (“I’m not crying, it’s just the wind!”). As a gritty musicality continues to accompany her rich syrupy vocals for classics like mega hit ‘Torn’ and my personal favourite ‘Big Mistake’, in addition to catchy new song ‘Habit’, Imbruglia proves that she’s still very much got it; with a sparkling splendour she oozes a warm presence whilst delivering each singalong offering with all the crystalline grace and earnest emotion that eleven year old me could have hoped for.
After catching the end of fellow aussies Germein’s uplifting set over on the Birdcage stage, we return to the main stage to see country-pop star Elle King. I hadn’t thought I knew who she was, but as soon as the first few catchy bars of ‘Ex’s and Oh’s’ kicked in, I realised I’d been including her on many of my ‘Women Of Country’ playlists over the last couple of years. From songs about her penchant for partying (‘Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home’)), to her deep unconditional love for her young child (‘Lucky’), each and every song exudes a fiercely cool attitude and impassioned colourful energy. A new favourite for sure.
Our first taste of Ireland for the day comes from young band Dea Matrona. Fronted by besties Orlaith and Mollie, they deliver heartfelt country-tinged rock anthems with a glistening energy. The set, consisting of songs from their recently released debut album For Your Sins, not only showcases their evident closeness as friends and an endearing warmth of spirit, but an immense musical prowess, both Orlaith and Mollie swapping between bass and guitar and blasting out racing riffs with a seemingly effortless grace, whilst backed up by ‘the guys’ on rhythm guitar and drums. Fully immersing the crowd in each exquisite offering, including an impressive cover of Prince’s ‘Kiss’ and the delicate emotion of acoustic interlude ‘Glory, Glory (I Am Free)’, Dea Matrona cement themselves firmly as ones to watch, fully worthy of sharing a line-up with legends like Shania Twain.
And on to our second Irish band of the day, another late nineties fave of mine, The Corrs. Unlike with Natalie Imbruglia and Shania, however, I don’t think I had to buy The Corrs’ albums myself as my dad was also a fan, so I had easy access to their lush folk-inspired pop by just popping downstairs and stealing 1998’s Talk On Corners from his collection. Kicking off with the first track from that album, ‘Only When I Sleep’, the four siblings deliver a completely flawless set; looking and sounding as utterly immaculate as you would expect. With a set spanning their career, from debut album title track, ‘Forgiven Not Forgotten’, through to 2015’s ‘White Lies’, each offering exudes a soaring rich musicality and interwoven crystalline harmonies, so perfect they’d make you weep. But, in addition to the expected exquisite grace and beauty that exudes from the stage, The Corrs also showcase a wit and modest affability throughout – with front woman Andrea prefacing ‘What I Can Do’ with the caveat “it’s shameless to beg, but I thought it was a good idea at the time”, and drummer/percussionist Caroline oozing an immense sense of cool throughout as she switches between instruments, consistent in her fierce timekeeping -, as well as being incredible musicians and vocalists, The Corrs just come across as lovely people; delighted to be sharing their creations with an enthusiastic crowd. Seamlessly fusing together traditional Irish folk with catchy heartfelt pop, they do not disappoint, leaving me feeling both nostalgic and hopeful. I definitely recommend catching them on their upcoming tour (with Natalie Imbruglia!) this autumn.
As the excitement for Shania Twain builds, it strikes me that every act on stage today has been female, or female-led, and that’s nice to know; a perfectly Get In Her Ears-friendly line-up. Good on BST Hyde Park for putting it together, though I feel that it does not need to be emphasised or made a big deal of; it only goes to show that it isn’t hard to find female headliners and big stage fillers, despite what some festival organisers may have you believing. And it’s pretty lovely looking out at the crowd, women and girls spanning multiple generations, alongside queer groups and allies, all there for one reason; to see Shania Twain. Alongside her incredible band, she takes to the stage to with opening number ‘Don’t Be Stupid (You Know I Love You)’ – an eleven, and thirty eight, year old me’s dream. Immediately immersing us all in her effervescent glow, she buoyantly bounds from one side of the stage to the other, keen for us all to see her and take in as much of her infectious joyous charm as possible. As she comes to the end of second song ‘You Win My Love’, from 1995’s The Woman In Me, she politely asks for a tissue, adding “I’ve got a little sniffle, but who cares?!”. If anyone can get away with blowing their nose on stage, it’s Shania. In fact, seeing her not ashamed of doing this only makes me love her more. Nostrils cleared, she poignantly states “life is for dreaming” as an introduction to 2023’s ‘Waking Up Dreaming’, before launching into the playful allure of 2002’s ‘I’m Gonna Getcha Good’. And I’m just blown away by the immense glistening energy exuding from the stage, not only from Twain herself; but the other musicians- Tiffany Lamson on drums and Lindsay Ell on guitar, in particular, standing out with their swirling impassioned drive.
Then the band leave Shania alone with an acoustic guitar and backing singer, Paul, to treat us to a stirring rendition of ‘Still The One’. Probably a little shorter than we’ve come to know it, due to Shania’s different vocal range resulting from Lyme’s Disease (or perhaps just having a cold!), it’s just as heart-wrenchingly beautiful as ever; seeing Shania still willing to reveal this vulnerability and delicate emotion being particularly moving.
As the wonderful band rejoins her on stage, Shania expresses her gratitude for the way in which her music is still appealing to multiple generations; citing Harry Styles as a fan “because his mum would play my music in the car over and over”. This lovely sentiment seems epitomised by a little child in front of us, who can’t be more than about eight, sitting on the shoulders of her mum/aunt/carer wearing a cowboy hat, feather boer and Shania tee, who has literally been singing along to every single word of every single song played so far. And Shania herself is gushing with all the excited energy of a teenage girl throughout the set, donning her own sparkling cowboy hat for country-strong hits ‘Any Man Of Mine’, ‘Giddy Up’ and ‘Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under’, before dashing across the stage to hug a tree; she just seems truly thrilled to be here, and the feeling is so mutual. After dividing us up to sing ‘Honey, I’m Home’, taking time to allow each half of the crowd to practise (and apologising for being a perfectionist), another stripped back interlude comes in the form of ‘From This Moment On’; with backing singer Paul providing sugar-sweet harmonies, it soars with a heartfelt anthemic splendour. As I’m reminded of ‘choreographing’ a dance to ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ when in middle school, it’s such a joy to witness the sheer sense of fun and cheeky spirit oozing from the stage for the 1997 classic, before Shania asks us – tissue in nose – “are you ready to rock?!” as she launches into ‘Rock This Country’. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as rock ‘n’ roll.
Ending the set with the imfamously feel-good ‘Man! I Feel Like A Woman’, Shania Twain is everything I hoped for and more. I had no doubt she would put on a fun show, but the absolute clarity of each song, along with the endearingly wholesome enthusiasm and effervescent energy that she puts into every single second of her performance is truly life-affirming. A fiercely joyous experience, uniting fans of all kinds in their love for the comforting, empowering energy that Twain offers.
Mari Lane / @mari_getinherears
Photo Credit: Dave Hogan
Get In Her Ears 